Judith with the Head of Holofernes

Christoffel van Sichem’s print—likely derived from a drawing by Goltzius working in the manner of Lucas van Leyden—was originally produced as an illustration for his Bible, including the apocryphal Book of Judith. The popularity of this subject at a time when images depicting the power of women were in growing demand is supported by the fact that another version on blue paper printed in reverse by van Sichem’s contemporary Paulus Moreelse is also in the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art’s collection (Eskenazi Museum of Art 83.16.1B).